Upton and Mendon are great towns to raise kids in. They are rural, but not remote - you can be in Worcester or Providence in a half hour and Boston in less than an hour (take Rt 16 to 109). They have good schools and lots of outdoorsy stuff within a short drive - Southwick Zoo, Breezy waterslides, Purgatory Chasm, and lots more. Houses are very nice, with a mix of older and newer and you will find others who commute to the city, so you can commiserate about how much of a hassle it is.